“We are waiting for political initiatives from France,” says a lawyer for hostage families

“We are waiting for political initiatives from France”, launches Sunday January 14 on franceinfo Patrick Klugman, lawyer for several families of Franco-Israeli hostages, on the eve of the 100 days of the conflict started on October 7 by Hamas attacks against Israel. In a video published on social networks on Saturday, Emmanuel Macron called for “resuming the negotiations for liberation again and again” Hamas hostages. Patrick Klugman says he is “glad that the President of the Republic sent messages to say that France had not forgotten them”.

The lawyer judges this reaction however “insufficient” from “someone who is not an observer, but a head of state”. He denounces a “particularly illegible French policy” and regrets the absence of tribute to the Franco-Israeli victims. “I associate myself with those who wonder and who are beginning to find the time long”he adds.

Patrick Klugman, leader of the AV7 collective, association of victims of October 7, denounces “invisibility [des otages] in the French public debate”. He describes the situation ““terrible”. “They are reduced to the state of currency of exchange”, deplores the lawyer. He also regrets that “the International Committee of the Red Cross cannot visit the hostages”. The ICRC “was able to come for their release, but there was never a medical examination” during their captivity, he castigates.